Torii / 鳥居

Torii / 鳥居の歴史

At the entrance of Shinto shrines across Japan are the iconic torii gate. Torii gates are of symbolic function, with no doors or surrounding fences. They mark the gateway between the outside and the spiritual world within. Some Buddhist temples also feature torii gates in front of their main prayer halls, but torii are traditionally Shinto. The origins of the sacred gateways has been lost to history, and the name literally translates to bird perch, although the name may have derived from the term tori-iru ( pass through and enter)

Inari Shrine Torii / 稲荷神社の鳥居

Often more than one torii is passed through on the approach to a shrine, and with each torii a more sacred area in entered. Long rows of torii can often be found at Inari shrines, dedicated to the fox gods. Local businesses and prosperous people often donate torii gates to such shrines in thanks to the spirits of the shrine. There are apparently some 10,000 Torii gates lined up at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto!

Types of Torii Gate / 鳥居の種類

Mention of torii gates first appear in written records about 922 during the Heian period. Traditionally made from wood or stone, modern day torii are also made of concrete, steel or copper. The stone and wooden torii are often left plain, although many are painted in vermillion, with a black upper lintel.

The torii gates are usually of very simple design, featuring two upright beams called hashira, topped with a horizontal lentil known as a kasagi, and reinforced by a lower horizontal tie-beam called the nuki. Between the kasagi and the nuki a supporting strut may be seen. The gakuzuka is often hidden by a plaque displaying the name of the shrine. There are over 60 types of torii, differing slightly in their shapes and design.

Famous Torii Gates / 有名な鳥居

The oldest existing wooden torii can be found at the Oimata Kubo Hachiman Shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture, while one of the oldest stone torii can be found in a shrine dedicated to Hachiman in Yamagata. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture boasts the Kane no Torii, a Muromachi period piece of some eight meters in height, while another in Osaka’s Shitennoji is claimed to be one of the oldest stone Torii. Another of the most famous would be the floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine, standing 16 meters high and 24 meters long. Japan’s biggest torii overall (2011) is claimed by the Hongu Taisha Shrine in Kumano, Wakayama Prefecture, at 33 meters tall.